Residual Memory
by LadyNightRunner
Summary: Reno sets out to remind CLoud of everything he has forgotten, and he will do anything, even drag Cloud into an empty booth for some making out in the name of the past. He can only hope it, and his other plans, work out as planned.


I cannot remember who requested this for the life of me. What she wanted, however, was Reno/Zack/Cloud fic in which Reno reminds Cloud about the love life they had together before Nibleheim. Other requirements included dancing, a club, and some fun. Enjoy it, everybody!

* * *

Every now and then, Cloud had to get out of the house or suffer Tifa's wrath. This was one of those nights, so Cloud hightailed it down to Riptide, a popular club recommended to him by several of Tifa's very drunk patrons. He wasn't much of one for dancing, but the music wasn't bad and he could drink without his housemate chewing him out.

As expected on a Saturday night, the parking lot was crowded. Cloud squeezed in between a badly parked SUV and a gleaming Corvette and headed inside. Getting past the bouncer was easy; everyone in the business knew about Tifa and, by association, Cloud.

Inside, deafening music made the floor vibrate with its intensity. Cloud pushed his way to the bar and ordered a drink, then relaxed on the stool, watching the mass of dancers out on the floor.

"Tifa throw you out again?"

Long hands ghosted over the back of his neck. Cloud shivered. He knew the owner of the hands- he came into 7th Heaven all the time.

"She didn't throw me out," he hissed. "I came on my own. Get your hands off me."

Reno laughed and dropped onto the stool beside Cloud's, motioning to the bartender. While the man turned to get his drink, Reno leaned over and ran the tip of one finger behind Cloud's ear. The blonde twitched and leaned away, winding up in a precarious position half-on and half-off his stool.

"Don't _touch_ me."

"Aww, why not? You used to love it; a couple of touches in the right places and you'd let me do anything."

"What do you mean, _used to love it_?" Cloud snapped. He couldn't imagine ever letting Reno touch him in any way that wasn't directly related to helping him or his friends.

"You lost that too, huh?" Reno asked softly. "And here I thought you were just being cold." He tossed back his drink and grabbed Cloud's hand. Not, thankfully, in a sensual way, but with a strong grip, the kind of hold he could use to pull Cloud off the stool and into the crush of bodies on the dance floor.

It was easier to move near the center of the floor. The better dancers danced there, while everyone else stayed back, allowing them room. Cloud wasn't sure if Reno was a dancer or if he was just taking advantage of the extra space.

"Let's see if I can remind you," Reno breathed in his ear. Cloud reached up to swat at him, hating that Reno was taller than him. Reno grabbed his hand and used it to turn him around, facing him. "Dance with me."

"_No_."

"C'mon, try it. You don't know what you're missing."

"I said no."

"And I don't care. Dance with me."

Cloud attempted to pull away, but Reno pulled him hard against his chest.

"Do it," he whispered. "Do it and I'll help you remember."

"Remember _what_?" Cloud whispered back, struggling. Reno's hold was too tight.

"_Everything_," Reno purred. "Everything we did before Nibelheim."

Even now, Cloud couldn't remember large portions of time before the labs under the ShinRa Mansion. If Reno was serious about being able to bring back some of those lost memories...he'd go with it for now. He could always stop him later.

"Okay."

Reno grinned, an expression that sent chills down Cloud's spine. Did he really _want_ to remember whatever it was Reno was speaking of?

The song ended, and Reno loosened his grip.

"Dance," he said firmly.

"What does this have to do with my memories?" Cloud groused, allowing Reno to pull him slightly to the right of the middle of the dance floor. "It's just dancing."

"I came out to you on a dance floor," Reno murmured, putting his hands on Cloud's hips and forcing him to move them to the heavy beat. "To you and to Zack."

"Zack?" Cloud repeated. "What were the three of us doing in one place? You're a Turk, and I was a regular, and he was a First Class SOLDIER...when were Turks on socializing terms with him? When were you on good terms with _anyone_ in ShinRa?"

"Oh, I made an exception for you. And for him. And Seph, but I had to do that if I wanted close to you and Zack."

Once he was satisfied with the way Cloud's hips were moving, Reno stepped behind Cloud, pressing close to him, his arms wrapped around Cloud's waist.

"You aren't making sense," Cloud complained.

"It makes sense if you think about it," Reno purred, leaning in close so Cloud could hear him. "I wanted to get close to you. I came out to you. What other reason would I have?"

The only reason Cloud could think of was that Reno wanted Zack, him, or both of them in bed. But that was impossible. That would mean that...

"I'm not gay."

"I know. You slept with me anyway."

"I _what_?"

"Hush, Spike, you're ruining the mood here. Just dance. We'll talk later."

"What mood?"

"_This_ mood, idiot. I like my dancing without chit-chat."

Cloud considered running away right then, but the faint possibility of regaining lost memory kept him on the dance floor with Reno glued to him. The redhead smelled of cigarettes, cinnamon, and only faintly of alcohol. It wasn't a bad smell, and, under other circumstances, and if he'd been gay, he might have said that it was sexy, mysterious, and alluring. Since he wasn't, and he _certainly_ wasn't, it wasn't. End of story.

_It was a Wednesday, an unusual day for three working men to be out at a club. Reno was off-duty as a reward for completing an assignment in record time. Zack had convinced Sephiroth to sign Cloud out, since the cadet had nothing better to do that evening, and Zack himself could go where he liked when there wasn't a war on, which there wasn't. They'd met up, Zack dragging Cloud, Reno smoking outside the club, entirely by accident. Both parties expressed delight at meeting the other, and they found a booth near the back of the club, where Zack and Reno could try and coax Cloud to drink something alcoholic. _

_"C'mon, quit it!" Cloud complained, swatting at the glass Zack was offering. "I don't want it."_

_"Alright, fine," Reno grumbled, taking the glass from Zack and draining it. "Let's dance."_

_"All of us?" _

_"All of us. I'm not leaving either one of you alone. The chicks in here are like vultures. Up you get, Spike, let's get some exercise."_

_Cloud got up and followed Reno into the mass of moving bodies, grateful to be up and away from the booth, and eager to show Zack and Reno that he wasn't a complete hick. He'd gone out with guys from his dorm several times since his arrival, and he could dance perfectly fine, thank you._

_They wound up near the middle of the floor, Reno clinging to Cloud mostly because they were closest in size. Reno was having a hard time doing so, though, because Cloud knew what he was doing and rarely held still long enough for Reno to get a firm grip on him._

_"Damn, Cloud, where'd you learn to do that?" Zack breathed, spending more time watching Cloud's butt than was normally safe when on a crowded dance floor. Given Zack's glowing eyes and aura of 'don't touch me', however, he was free to do as he liked, provided Cloud didn't catch him._

_"Around," Cloud said simply, twisting in Reno's arms and rolling his hips against the redhead's. "Oops, sorry Reno."_

_"Nah,'s fine," Reno mumbled. "Do it again."_

_"Beg pardon?"_

_"I said do it again."_

_"Why?"_

_"'cuz it's hot, that's why. An' so are you."_

_"Assuming that you're reasonably sober, that would make you-"_

_"Gay," Reno finished. "Yup."_

_"Oh." Zack considered this for moment. "Alright...but hit on me and I'll gut you, okay?"_

_"Mmhm," Reno mumbled, still grappling to keep Cloud close to him."C'mon, Cloud, dance with me like you mean it."_

_"I'm not grinding with you," Cloud sniffed. "Let go."_

Reno grew tired of dancing with an unresponsive partner after awhile, and dragged Cloud back to the bar. They sat there for a few minutes, Cloud staring listlessly at the drink Reno had brought him, Reno sipping his own.

"You were awfully blunt," Cloud said suddenly. Reno gave him a quizzical look over the rim of his glass. "About coming out. It was just 'Yup, I'm gay', as if it were the most normal thing to be telling us. Like you were giving us the time or something."

"You remembered?"

"That bit," Cloud muttered, taking a gulp of his drink. Whatever it was (and he had no clue), it was strong and burned on the way down.

"Then it's working. We should keep at it. Let's get back on the floor."

"No."

"Why not?"

"It's not going to work again."

"How do you know? Maybe, if you dance without me having to force you, you'll remember more of the time we spent together."

"But I-"

"C'mon." Reno grabbed Cloud's hand and pulled him back into the crush on the dance floor. "Give it a shot."

Cloud sighed and gave in, shoving Reno's hands away from his sides.

"Let me lead," he ordered.

"What?"

"I said let me lead. I think I'm better than you at this."

Reno grinned and let Cloud put his hands on his hips, drawing them close. Reno made several attempts to mimic this move and get his hands on Cloud's hips, but Cloud slapped his hands away each time. His hands were different now, a little bigger, much stronger, and callused from his work. Not like the hands Reno remembered, except in shape and dexterity.

"Stop that," Cloud snapped. "If you have to do something with your hands, put them on my shoulders."

It was a comfortable position; the difference between their heights put Reno's arms below a ninety degree angle, easy to maintain.

Cloud began to move to the beat, a sinuous motion that Reno had some trouble copying. He'd never tried moving his hips that way, or in that sort of sync with the rest of his body.

The only say Reno had in any part of the dancing was how close he was to Cloud, and he made sure they couldn't get any closer. The denim of Cloud's jeans was rough against Reno's slacks, creating friction that Reno leaned into.

"You're going to knock me over," Cloud complained, tightening his grip on Reno's hips.

_"That's alright. I'll just make sure I land on you," Reno chuckled. "Then we can-whoa!"_

_Zack scooped him up, well out of Cloud's way._

_"No damaging the cadet, remember?" he laughed. _

_Reno said nothing, just grabbed a handful of Zack's hair and crushed their mouths together. Zack stiffened for a moment, then relaxed. His grip loosened, and Reno hit the floor with a thud and an indignant yelp._

_"You don't just drop a guy when he's kissing you, yo!" he complained, picking himself up. "That hur-"_

_Zack, imitating Reno, grabbed a handful of red hair and yanked Reno into a kiss. Cloud stared. Both of the older men had apparently forgotten about his presence, an assumption enforced by the way their kissing quickly turned into something_ _that looked almost dangerous in its intensity. _

_"Um...guys?" Cloud said softly, not sure if interrupting was wise but knowing that he couldn't get past the pair and to the door without being noticed._ _At any rate, Zack would fuss if he didn't tell him when he was leaving. "Zack? Reno?"_

_They pulled apart, flushed and wearing expressions somewhere between desire and surprise._

_"Y-yeah?" Zack asked, somewhat breathless._

_"I was just gonna...um...go, because I've kinda got an inspection in the morning, and...er...yeah, so I'll just...see you two later, okay? Bye!" He bolted for the door, but was beat to it by Reno, who leaned against it._

_"I want a goodbye kiss," he purred. Cloud would have suspected him of being drunk if he hadn't personally kept all forms of alcohol away from the redhead all night._

_"From me?"_

_"Who else?"_

_"Zack."_

_"I can have Zack any time."_

_"Cannot," Zack retorted._

_"Compared to him? Yeah I can."_

_"I really don't think-" Cloud began, but Reno just grinned, pecked him on the cheek, and flounced back to Zack._

_"G'night, Spiky," he laughed. Blushing furiously, Cloud hurried out._

They hit the dance floor with a painful thump, instantly in serious danger of being stepped on. Cloud got to his feet at once, pulling Reno up with him. The redhead grinned crazily at Cloud and stepped right up against him, reaching around him and grabbing his ass, then dancing out of reach in a single smooth movement.

"Hey!"

"Sorry, I just couldn't resist. Had to see if any of the Sephiroth in you had done anything for your flat ass."

"I don't have a flat ass," Cloud huffed.

"Yeah, you do."

"No, I- this is stupid, Reno, we're not kids."

"Of course not. You're all grown up now...you're even legal."

"_Legal_?" Cloud spluttered. "What do you mean, _legal_?"

Reno grinned.

"You were still under 18 back then. What we did could have been called statutory."

"I never-"

"Oh, yes you did. Didn't you remember anything else about...us?"

"Only about you and Zack making out right in front of me," Cloud snapped, backing towards the bar. He was taking no chances with letting Reno get anywhere near his ass again.

"I remember that," Reno said fondly. "He wouldn't sleep with me then, but he was a damn good kisser. Best I've ever had, in fact."

"What about Aerith? Was he toying with her or something?" The thought irritated him.

"Oh, her? No, he swung both ways. Brought his girls with him, sometimes, but usually it was just us. Didn't you remember anything else? Anything more fun?"

"I don't find _any_ of this fun," Cloud corrected. "I just want to-mmph!"

He really should have been expecting it when Reno grabbed his shoulders and yanked him into a clumsy kiss. He should have, but he didn't.

_"C'mon, Cloud, don't be so shy."_

_"I'm not being shy!"_

_"You've been watching me all day," Zack laughed. "Did you both think I hadn't noticed?"_

_Cloud and Reno jumped. Grinning, Reno pushed Cloud forward._

_"Cloud's got something he wants to say," he snickered. "Go on an' tell him, Cloud."_

_Zack cocked his head to the side and watched Cloud fidget and try to escape._

_"Well?" he said finally._

_"I...er...this is...Reno just...um..." Giving up on his pathetic fumbling, Cloud stood on tiptoe, wrapped his arms around Zack's neck to gain a little more height, and quickly kissed the SOLDIER on the lips. Then he let go and scurried behind Reno, blushing so red that he could have almost used Reno's hair for camouflage. Zack grinned._

_"Why're you hiding?" he asked, stepping around Reno to look at Cloud, who moved, trying to keep the Turk between him and Zack. _

_"He just is," Reno laughed. He stepped to the side, leaving Cloud entirely exposed and easy prey for Zack, who pounced._

_"Lemmegolemmegolemmego!" Cloud yelped, kicking desperately. Zack simply held him off the ground until he tired and went still, then put him back down, keeping a firm grip on him in case he tried to run._

_"Now, that's just bad manners," he said. "You can't just go and kiss someone and then try to hide."_

_"Yes, I can."_

_"Then you can't go and kiss _me_ and then run off. It's rude."_

_Cloud fidgeted, refusing to look up and make eye contact. Finally, Zack sighed and grabbed his chin, forcing him to look up._

_"_Explain_," he said firmly._

_"I...nothing," Cloud said softly._

_"Explain yourself, soldier."_

_"Oh, don't-" Zack fixed Cloud with a steely glare. "Ilikeyou."_

_"I didn't catch a word of that."_

_"I said I like you."_

_Zack blinked._

_"You...like me?"_

_"If you don't want him, I do, yo," Reno said. Zack flipped him off and bent to Cloud's height._

_"Seriously?"_

_Cloud nodded. Zack grinned, pulled Cloud close to him, and kissed him until his knees gave out. When he let go, Cloud clutched desperately at his arms to keep from falling. Laughing, he scooped Cloud up just the way he had with Reno nearly three months before._

_"Good thing that I like you too, then, isn't it?"_

_He carried Cloud over to the couch, dropped him on it, and pinned him down, kissing him again. Reno perched on the other end of the couch and impatiently waited for either an opening or an invitation. When neither presented itself, he gave an irritated huff and slid off the arm with a thump, trying to get a little attention. No such luck; Cloud had captured all of Zack's attention in the best way._

_"Fine," he sniffed, picking himself up and shooting a jealous look at the way Cloud's fingers were buried in Zack's hair. "I'm leaving."_

They broke apart, breathing hard and looking warily at one another.

"Remember anything?" Reno asked. Shaken, Cloud nodded. "What?"

"Kissing Zack."

"The first time?"

Nod.

"That day sucked. You guys totally ignored me for weeks."

"What happened after that?"

Reno grinned and pulled Cloud to an empty booth.

"Let's see if I can jumpstart a few more memories, huh?"

"Wait- what?"

Reno pushed Cloud in before him, then slid in beside him, getting one arm behind him to limit his movement.

"Every time we take a step further, you remember a little bit more. Ready for another step?"

"What do you mean, another step?"

"First, you danced with me by force. Then you danced with me on your own. Then we kissed. It'll take more than that to get the next one."

"And 'more' would be what?"

Reno shrugged, running his fingers through Cloud's hair.

"What did me and Zack do that night?"

Cloud recoiled as far as Reno's arm would let him.

"No! I'm not...with _you_?...are you...no. Never."

"You wanna remember, doncha?" Reno purred, pulling Cloud back to him. "This is the only way."

Cloud hesitated, then slumped, defeated, against the table.

"Alright," he said softly. "Just...don't get carried away, alright?"

"Only if _you_ don't carry _me_ away. You used to be pretty good at this kind of thing."

Cloud chose not to respond. Reno smiled and leaned into him, biting at his neck. At first, Cloud's reaction was to swat at him, natural when something hurt, but Reno licked the bite as if to apologize, and he gave up. Within moments, Reno had him responding, his touches and kisses too magnetic to let him stay still. He twisted on the seat and fell backwards, dragging Reno down on top of him, and held him there. Reno fought for a moment, not used to being overpowered, then went limp as Cloud pushed the nearly unbuttoned sides of his shirt open and bit at the pale, exposed skin.

"Damn, Spiky, what've you been up to since last time?" he groaned.

"Living."

_They were on each other as soon as the door closed. The weeks apart while Cloud did survival training had been hell on both of them. Zack worked Cloud's shirt off as they kissed, and Cloud set to getting Zack's belt out of the way. Then he froze. There were two hands too many on his body. He and Zack broke apart, his hand going to the knife Zack had told him to carry, Zack's balling into fists._

_"Hey, hey! It's just me, yo! Reno!" Reno put his hands up at once. "You should keep an eye on the door, y'know."_

_Zack started laughing. Cloud gave him a funny look but sheathed his knife again._

_"I wondered when you wouldn't be able to keep your hands to yourself anymore," he chuckled. "Get over here, you idiot."_

_Reno did as he was told, not sure what he'd gotten into, and was promptly spun around to face Cloud, his arms pinned behind him._

_"Go ahead, Cloud. Let's see what you can do to him."_

_Zack had rubbed off on him, and Cloud was far more adventurous than he had been the day he'd finally kissed Zack. Grinning, he leaned around and nibbled on Reno's ear._

_"You're not allowed to break into a SOLDIER's quarters," he breathed. "You can get into all _sorts_ of trouble. Maybe walk in on things you shouldn't be seeing."_

_Reno squirmed, but he had never been a match for Zack's sheer size and strength. Cloud unbuttoned Reno's shirt, shoving it back and up so it was bunched at his shoulders, and raked his nails lightly down Reno's stomach. The redhead shivered helplessly._

_"You're such a tease, Spiky. Give him what he wants."_

_Cloud grinned, happy that Zack liked what he was doing and that he had such power over Reno, and cupped Reno's face in his hands._

_"Want me to?" he whispered. Reno nodded. "Okay." Delicately, he kissed Reno, who struggled to pull away from Zack enough to kiss back. Zack's grip was too hard to break and he managed some very inventive curses when Cloud pulled away._

_"Whatsa matter, Reno?"_

_"Don't fuckin' _toy_ with me!"_

_"We're not toying with you."_

_"Then what do you call it?"_

_"Foreplay."_

_That got Reno's attention. He grinned, suddenly realizing all the lovely places this could take him, and relaxed in Zack's hold. Zack, recognizing acceptance when he saw it, flung Reno over his shoulder, grabbed Cloud, did the same to him, and carried the pair of them into the bedroom._

Cloud came out of his daze to find Reno not just hovering over him anymore, but straddling his waist, taking advantage of Cloud's distraction to leave little red marks all over his neck and collarbone.

"H-hey," he complained weakly. "Stoppit."

"No."

"_Reno_."

"You taste good."

"Tifa's gonna kill me if I come home with marks like these. I'll be sleeping in the garage, if I'm lucky."

"Then don't go home," Reno purred. "Come home with me. We can relive all the fun I had with you when Zack was gone."

"Huh?"

"What did you remember? You and me, or just the three of us?"

"Th-ah! Don't chew on me when I'm trying to talk! Three of us. The first night we took you to bed with us."

Reno's eyes lit up.

"I remember that," he said happily. "One of the best nights I've ever had. Zack was always at his best when he'd been away from you for awhile...he could go _forever_."

Cloud wasn't sure how he felt about knowing what he'd done with Zack. Before now, Zack had been more, and less, then he was now. They'd _slept_ together? Slept with _Reno_?

"Please, Cloud? It's been so long...I've missed you. And you have more to remember. Come home with me. Tifa won't mind, she has the kids to worry about...and you're a grown man now. You can go out if you want."

He hesitated, and Reno went back to his busy nibbling.

"Alright. Just- hey, stop that- get off me, we can't do this here."

"Why not?"

"We're in _public_."

"So?"

"Just get off. Your ride or mine?"

"Ooh...yours, definitely. I've always wanted to get that much power between my legs. You and Zack were close, but- mmph."

"Don't you _dare_ pervert my bike," Cloud growled. "Or you're walking."

Reno said nothing- how could he, with Cloud's hand over his mouth? - and licked Cloud's palm. Cloud squawked and pulled back.

"Gotcha," Reno snickered.

"Let's just go."

Reno clung to Cloud, his hands notably lower than society usually deemed appropriate and his mouth right up against the back of Cloud's neck. He said nothing, wanting to be only a pleasant distraction, not a danger. It wouldn't do to crash before they got to the apartment.

Three flights of stairs and one locked door later, they stumbled into the living room, Cloud already getting his hands under Reno's jacket. Reno tripped over the edge of the rug, and they both tumbled in the direction of the couch. Cloud made it, Reno didn't, and they both wound up on the floor. No matter. The floor was a horizontal surface too, and it could serve their purpose just as well.

Reno reached for Cloud's belt, then cussed softly when he found it harder to unfasten than the average belt. Laughing, Cloud undid it for him.

"Shouldn't wear stuff like that," Reno complained. "You and Zack were always so damn hard to undress with your uniforms. Yours didn't even look good."

"Gee, thanks," Cloud muttered, yanking Reno shirt off and tossing it out of the way.

_"You_ looked good, but the outfit...eew. Really. I've never seen anything less flattering."

Cloud moved, trying to get on top of Reno, and banged his head on the underside of Reno's coffee table. Much cursing followed.

"We are not continuing this on the floor," Cloud said firmly, pushing himself up onto his knees and rubbing the bump on the back of his head.

"Couch? Or bed?"

"Bed."

"'kay."

The transfer from living room floor to bedroom was nothing if not awkward. They couldn't simply get up and walk, they had to get there wrapped around each other, kissing, licking, and biting at every inch of exposed skin. It made for an interesting and rather drawn-out trip. Finally, Cloud threw his weight in such a way that Reno wound up mostly on the bed, lying on his back, kicking rather ineffectually because his feet weren't on the floor. Grinning, Cloud leaned on him, easily avoiding the flailing legs and resting most of his weight on Reno's lower stomach.

"Why didn't you do this to me sooner?" he asked, tracing abstract patterns on Reno's chest.

"Do what?"

"Help me remember."

"I wanted to," Reno breathed, shivering under Cloud's hand. "But you were with Tifa, an' I didn't know if maybe you'd gone straight, after all that time away from me."

"You could have tried anyway," Cloud admonished, pulling himself fully onto the bed and Reno. "I would've liked to remember more sooner."

Reno grinned and buried his hands in Cloud's hair.

"Let's make up for lost time, then."

Around the point where all items of clothing had been banished from the bed, Reno managed to regain control and pin Cloud down. Grinning, he held the blonde's hands overhead with one hand and pushed Cloud's head to the side with the other. He bit Cloud's ear, then moved down to his chest, licking and biting as he went.

_Another time, another place, but not another bed. Reno liked different places whenever he could convince them of the advantages. Tonight it was in an empty stall in the chocobo stables. The stables were deserted at night, except for the birds themselves, who didn't pay much attention to the humans in the corner stall. Reno had found an old practice mat from the gym and smuggled it in, so they only had to worry about mat burn instead of scrapes from the concrete, should they fall from the suspension harness Reno had rigged up. Designed to support a fully grown chocobo and hold it off the ground, it was supposed to be more than sturdy enough to support two grown men and a teenager._

"_Looks like at least one of your ideas was a good one," Zack teased, lifting Cloud into the harness. It rocked but remained firmly attached to the ceiling._

"_One?" Reno snorted, pulling Cloud's head back to bare his throat. "My ideas are always good."_

"_Are not," Cloud panted._

"_Really? Name one that wasn't."_

"_The garage," Zack offered. "I was pulling splinters for days after that one."_

"I_ wanted to be in one of the trucks, but nooooooo, you said, because there was no way we'd fit in there. The work bench was _your_ doing."_

"_The greenhouse," Cloud said, pulling out of Reno's hold to make room for Zack, who swung himself up into the harness as if he were mounting a chocobo. The entire contraption swung wildly, prompting yells from Cloud and Reno and frantic grabs for the nearest strap._

"_What was wrong with the greenhouse?" Reno demanded when the harness steadied again._

"_What was _wrong_ with it? Something in there _bit_ me! One of the _plants_ bit me! Where did you get the brilliant idea to meet in the greenhouse that the _Science Department_ uses?"_

"_It was _just_ a greenhouse," Reno sniffed, climbing over Cloud to straddle Zack._

"Just_ a greenhouse? Reno, nothing the Science Department works with is _just_ anything," Zack sighed, shifting to get a buckle out of the small of his back. "Cloud, you're going to fall off if you stay over there. C'mere where I can reach you."_

"_Anyway, even if you got bitten, it was just a nip, right? I bite you all the time, and so does Zack."_

"_It turned green and I could hardly walk! Do you have any idea how hard it was to explain myself at the Clinic?"_

"_But-"_

"_Can we quit arguing and get on with it before this thing decides not to support us anymore? Please?"_

_The harness held until shortly after they'd finished and were lying in a messy tangle of naked limbs, basking in the afterglow. Without even a creak of warning, the whole thing gave up and fell, taking the three of them to the floor with a painful thump. Zack swore a blue streak, but something about the fall made Cloud laugh until he was lightheaded, and the laughter was contagious, so they ended up as a laughing heap of bodies tangled in leather straps and metal buckles. The chocobos wisely ignored them._

"What were you _thinking_?" Cloud gasped.

"Huh?" Reno looked up from Cloud's groin. "What are you talking about?"

"A suspension harness in the chocobo stables. What _possessed _you to suggest something like that?"

"You remembered _that_?" Reno asked.

"I did."

"That was a great night! The harness idea was brilliant!"

"It dumped us on the floor."

"After we'd had our fun."

"Speaking of which…what's taking you so long?"

Reno raised one eyebrow.

"You haven't been with another guy since me an' Zack, and that was years ago. You can't possibly be suggesting that I take you without prep."

"I didn't say a thing about not getting me ready," Cloud retorted. "But quit playing around. Now that you've reminded me, I want this _now_."

Reno grinned.

"Music to my ears, yo."

--

The following morning, Cloud woke up in the strange bed feeling completely at ease. He was warm and comfortable. The sun was mostly blocked by heavy blinds, and the little light that was getting in was only a warm glow. Cloud was alone in the bed, but the bedroom door was open, letting in the sounds of someone banging things around in the kitchen. Since he was obviously not needed, Cloud burrowed back into the blankets and closed his eyes, reveling in the warmth.

"Roomservice, yo."

Cloud looked up. Reno had a battered metal tray balanced in his hands, from which wafted the divine smells of bacon and coffee.

"How long have you been up?" Cloud yawned.

"'bout an hour. Can't sleep past about eleven…dunno why."

Reno handed the tray to Cloud, then flopped onto the bed. Aside from the bacon Cloud had smelled, there were Pop Tarts, a heap of grapes, a couple of slices of cold pizza, and two travel mugs of coffee. Not a conventional breakfast, but one that was undeniably Reno. Cloud grinned and balanced the tray across his knees, angling it so Reno could reach.

"You never struck me as the breakfast in bed type."

"You looked too tired to get up, so I made an exception."

Cloud took one of the mugs and sipped cautiously at the coffee. It was strong enough to degrease an engine and unapologetically unsweetened, just the way Reno always had his coffee. He murmured his approval.

"So," Reno began, reaching for the pizza. "Are you gonna tell Teef the truth, or come up with a story about some chesty redhead who hogtied you and drove off into the night, intending to have her wicked way with you until you chewed through the ropes and barely made it out with your life?"

Cloud choked on his coffee.

"Where do you _get_ this stuff?" he spluttered.

"My mind is a strange place."

"No kidding."

Reno grinned at Cloud around his pizza, which he was eating crust first.

"_Hey, is he awake yet?"_

"_Mmnuh?"_

"_He is now," Zack murmured, bending over Reno. "Hi there. Nice to see you're back among the living."_

"_What?" Reno asked, attempting to sit up. Cloud pushed him back down._

"_You passed out on a mission," Zack said. "Nearly gave Tseng a heart attack, from what I hear. Thank Cloud for hearing about it and getting to the chopper before they could drag your sorry, delirious carcass to the hospital."_

_Reno shuddered. He hated hospitals._

"_We got Doc Shendo to come in here and take a look at you," Cloud continued. "Tseng said you're staying in here until she says otherwise."_

"_Lucky me. I get two hot nurses to keep me company."_

"_Nah, only one. Zack got me off the roster for a couple of days, but he has work to do. It'll just be you and me."_

"_Even better."_

"_Don't you even," Zack warned, shaking a pair of orange capsules out of the bottle he'd been holding. "Here, take these. Doc said no activities that involve exerting yourself, and that means sex in all of its forms."_

"_No fair!" Reno complained. _

"_Doctor's orders," Cloud snickered. "We're allowed to hand you over to the hospital if you don't behave."_

"_That's just mean," Reno groused, swallowing the pills with a grimace. _

"_Mean or not, it's the way things are working until your fever's down and Doc says so. Keep him in line, Cloud."_

_Cloud nodded._

"_Will do."_

_Zack waved absently and left. As soon as the door closed, Reno rolled onto his side and leered at Cloud._

"_I don't want to know what you're thinking about," Cloud muttered. "Do I?"_

"_Oh, I dunno. Could be fun."_

"_Just tell me, then."_

"_I've got a nurse's outfit in my closet, if you wanna go get it."_

"_Why would I want to do that?"_

"_You're supposed to do everything you can to make a patient more comfortable, right? If having a pretty little blonde cadet like you running around in a nurse's outfit makes me happy, you should do it."_

"_I'm not supposed to leave you alone," Cloud countered. "Nice try."_

"_I'll get Zack to go get it when he comes back tonight," Reno promised._

"_Sure. I know what'll happen if I put something like that on, and it would be on the list of things you aren't supposed to be doing until Doc says you can. Just lie there and be a good Turk, okay?"_

_Reno sighed._

"_Only if you lie here with me."_

"_Are you going to grab me and get us both into trouble with the doctor?"_

"_No, Spiky, I'm not."_

"_Swear?"_

"_Scouts honor."_

"_You were never a scout of any kind, Reno. I'm not stupid."_

"_Swear on my mag-rod, then. That good enough for you?"_

_Cloud nodded and lay down. Reno scooted against him at once, flinging one arm over Cloud's waist._

"-oud. Cloud?"

"Hmmm?"

Reno waved a new slice of pizza in Cloud's face.

"I was asking if you wanted this, 'cuz I'll eat it if you don't. Where did you go? You were spacing out on me."

"Just…thinking," Cloud murmured, taking the pizza and biting the end off.

"Remember something else?"

Cloud shook his head.

"Liar."

"Nuh-uh."

"Don't you nuh-uh me, Spiky. I know that look."

Cloud ate half his slice of pizza before bothering to answer.

"Do you still have that nurse's outfit?"

Reno grinned.


End file.
